Can Dogs Eat Sardines?

Most dogs love eating fish, and sardines are an excellent option because we can find them canned in olive or sunflower oil, so we can store them without spoiling until we decide to give them to our dog.

Let's look at all the details we need to know about giving fish to our dog and what benefits it has for its health. Also the precautions we need to take with other larger fish than a sardine.

What Types of Fish Can a Dog Eat?

Practically any type of fish, as long as it has no fish intolerances or allergies, obviously. Dogs love eating raw or lightly cooked fish (grilled or boiled) and it's also a very high-quality nutritional food for them.

Generally, dogs are usually given fresh tuna or preserved in oil or natural, canned or fresh sardines, anchovies, salmon, etc.... We just need to be careful the fish has no bones.

The bone of an anchovy or a medium/small sardine isn't a danger for medium/large dogs, if uncooked. However, it's recommended to remove the bone if the dog is small, since it could choke, and it's also a good idea to chop the fish a bit before giving it.

Nutritional Benefits of Sardines

Both sardines and other fish provide an excellent amount of top-quality protein, a high content of beneficial fatty oils like Omega 3, Omega 6, and many minerals, plus vitamins.

Each type of fish has different properties — as an example, sardines provide a large amount of iron and B-group vitamins, essential for our dog. They'll give the dog an extra energy boost as well as help improve its health, skin, and coat.

Fish protein is highly absorbable and top quality, which will help our dog's muscle development. In addition, its beneficial fatty acids will help lower any dog's cholesterol level.

Many security forces use sardines in the diet of their working and/or rescue dogs, thanks to the high energy boost they provide. Given correctly, they're a perfect supplement.

How Should I Give Sardines to a Dog?

We recommend using sardines preserved in oil for their ease and safety, since being for human consumption, they contain no parasites and are high quality. We all know dog foods are subjected to very low quality standards... sometimes nonexistent. But canned sardines, being for human consumption, need to pass strict quality controls.

If our dog isn't allergic to fish, we can start adding sardines to its diet gradually, depending on its size we'll give more or less. As an example, if our dog weighs more than thirty kilos, we can give it one can once a week, split over two days or in a single one.

If our dog is small and weighs less than five kilos, as an example we can give it a fifth of the can once a week. Always removing the sardines' bones and chopping them beforehand, to prevent choking on large pieces.

Although the BARF diet philosophy indicates they can be given alone with no need for other food, we recommend mixing them with its regular food. We can also add a bit of the canning oil over the dog's kibble, so everything gets an irresistible smell and taste for our fur baby.

If our dog has never eaten sardines, it's recommended not to overdo it the first time — add them to its diet gradually so its digestive system adapts. Remember not to overdo it, and you'll see how your dog goes crazy with joy every time it's time to eat them.

Can I Give My Dog Raw Fish?

Yes, of course you can, but always following a few simple safety tips to prevent possible problems. Fish, like any other living animal, can contain parasites that will pass to the dog if it eats it raw.

To prevent our dog from catching these parasites, we need to freeze the fish for at least thirty days. This way we'll make sure every parasite dies. Then we just need to thaw the fish, remove the bones, and cut it into a size suitable for the dog.

If we don't want to freeze the raw fish, we can lightly boil it, steam it, or grill it — this way we'll also eliminate any possible parasites and our dog can eat it safely. Either way, we still need to remove any bones that could be a danger.